My First Days in Chimp Heaven

Hello Readers,

So you have probably noticed that there will be multiple posts today...Unfortunately, I fell ill with what I think was the flu (not malaria thankfully!!) after being on Ngamba Island only three days and I had to leave. Chimpanzees are very susceptible to human viruses. I was very disappointed but I am getting better now and hope to update all of you with what has been happening....

Monday, March 2nd was my first day of work on the island. The staff start work at 6:30 am so I got up with them to see what running a sanctuary is all about. Wow, do the staff ever work hard to keep that place running and the chimpanzees healthy. First a group of the staff check to make sure the electric fence is secure. There is an electric fence that runs the width of the island separating the forest from the staff/visitor camp. Then another group cuts up an array of produce for the 45 chimpanzees. There is a schedule of different foods that they get to adhere to. I helped with cutting the produce this morning. They eat things like porridge, sweet potato, avocado, mango, pineapple, jackfruit, carrots and of course lots of bananas. As soon as we bring the food around the holding facility the chimps go crazy pant hooting and screaming. The staff feed them through the bars and the infants get cups of milk. After they are fed they are released into the forest. All of them go out except for those that have managed to escape daily (by jumping over the fence) and the infants and and adults involved in integration. I will explain more about this later. From there we clean the holding facility which is a bit of a process. Then the staff get ready for the first group of visitors and the 11:00am feeding in the field. That day I helped in the 11:00 am feeding. We take all the cut up fruit in buckets up to the viewing platform and throw the food to the chimps. I loved doing this because it is the first time the chimps made eye contact and gestured at me, the intelligence is really reflected in their eyes.e did this again at 2:30 pm and in the meantime I helped with some building maintenance. The chimps know the routine like clockwork and in the evening around 6 or 7 they start coming in to the holding facility for dinner. It was my job to stand at the side and count them that night as they came in. Most of them come in but they do have a choice, they can stay in the forest in they want and forage for food and make a nest. By the end of the first day I was exhausted but it was such a great experience.

The next day I woke up with the staff again but I noticed I had a sore throat...oh no I was getting sick....I hadn't even thought of that as a possible issue but it was. I continue to help out anyways, we cleaned the holding facilities again and prepared the food. However when I notified them that I still was not feeling well there was not much I could help with. I spent most of Tuesday chatting with the staff on their breaks...to be continued...